Can't get enough of GIFs

AMAZEBALLS. YOLO*. Gangnam. All such ''worthy contenders'', all words that have purists pulling their hair out.

But none could top ''to gif'' as 2012's word of the year, as declared by the Oxford American Dictionary.

Although some argue the boffins are ''totes [totally] ancient'' because GIFs - animated computer picture files - have been around for, like, ages, [25 years, to be exact] Oxford's lexicographers said that like many relics of the 1980s, GIFs have never been trendier.

''The GIF has evolved from a medium for pop-cultural memes into a tool with serious applications including research and journalism, and its lexical identity is transforming to keep pace,'' said judging lexicographer panel member Katherine Martin.

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The files can be used to create looping animations, and reached a landmark last month when British newspaper The Guardian joined blog site Tumblr to ''live-GIF'' the US presidential debates.

GIF stands for graphic interchange format - and can be pronounced with a soft or hard ''g'' sound, Oxford has decreed.

Other contenders for the US title were ''superstorm'' and ''nomophobia'' [being away from the mobile phone].

The winner of the UK Oxford Dictionary's title was ''omnishambles'', a word popularised from British TV comedy The Thick of It, and has a similar meaning to existing words like snafu.

Omnishambles is defined as ''a situation that has been comprehensively mismanaged, and is characterised by a string of blunders and miscalculations''.

It spawned takeoffs such as ''Romneyshambles'', which Brits used to described US presidential candidate Mitt Romney's doubts that London could host a successful Olympiad.

Title judge Fiona McPherson said omnishambles was ''funny and quirky''.

''It has broken free of its fictional political beginnings, firstly by spilling over into real politics, and then into other contexts,'' she said.

''If influence is any indication of staying power, it has already staked its claim by being linguistically productive in its own right.''

Omnishambles defeated ''Eurogeddon'', referring to the European financial woes, and ''grexit'' [a mash of Greek and exit, referring to the scenario of Greece dropping the Euro as its currency] to win.

The lexicographers assure, though, that just because a word wins the title, it doesn't guarantee inclusion in the dictionary.

Last year's winner was ''squeezed middle'', which meant ''the section of society regarded as particularly affected by inflation, wage freezes, and cuts in public spending during a time of economic difficulty, consisting principally of those people on low or middle incomes''. It won both countries' awards.

* You only live once

60 comments so far

Myki=omnishambles.Yolo xx00 Jim

Commenter

Jim

Location

northcote

Date and time

November 13, 2012, 3:36PM

You sure it is the puritans who are pulling their hair out? Usually it is the purists.

Commenter

Sue T

Date and time

November 13, 2012, 3:38PM

It is of course appropriate that in an article about language, I would make such a snafu. Omnishambles for sure.

Commenter

Adrian Lowe

Date and time

November 13, 2012, 3:44PM

What an omnishambles...

Commenter

SeanC

Location

Richmond

Date and time

November 13, 2012, 3:44PM

Just for the record, the British show, 'The Thick of It' was not a sketch show but a political satire.

Commenter

bit boy

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

November 13, 2012, 3:44PM

Was in Melbourne last week - didn't have to pay for trams at all for the week - no conductors + myki = free trams :-)

Commenter

Patrick

Location

Sydney

Date and time

November 13, 2012, 3:51PM

We know your name, and we know where you live.

Commenter

bornagirl

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

November 13, 2012, 5:51PM

Wonderful system it is so tourist friendly you just get on board for the ride.

Commenter

Pickled Herring

Location

Frankston

Date and time

November 13, 2012, 8:56PM

As far as I'm concerned all the people who use the word "totes" should basically be rounded up and forced to commit seppuku.